From AMBphoto… A makeshift tent, gourmet donuts and sweet tunes cranked on a vintage record player are the fixings for a party of two! What do you do in the cold Canadian winters anyway when you can’t get outside for too long to enjoy the sun? Cuddle up inside with your adorable puppy named Eggnog, video games, treats and lots of love.

Kristina and Graham are getting married in the summer of 2015 and like their personalities, their wedding is going to be thrifty and fun. Kristina adores crafting, Etsy, and being creative and Graham, while not so into the thrifting, likes to have fun and goof around with Kristina’s ideas. They decided they wanted all of the pieces they used in their session to be things they already owned so that they truly reflected their tastes. For example, the adorable blue record player usually lives in their kitchen for dance parties while cooking! They are a match as sweet as the gourmet donuts they were munching on during the session and super fun to photograph! I’m always impressed when a couple will shed their coats in -20 degree Celsius weather for outdoor photos!

From Lynn Lee Fine Weddings & Events… Genevieve & Erik were very clear on their priorities for their wedding day from the very start. They wanted to create a fun, relaxed weekend for their family and friends, many of whom had not met prior and numerous travelling some distance in order to attend the nuptials.

The design for the day was created by Lynn Lee Fine Weddings & Events with Genevieve and Erik and their fabulous classic, good taste serving as inspiration. A family friend’s large brass collection became the unifying element around which the other details were developed. The grandeur of the Fairmont Chateau Laurier was the perfect backdrop for this elegant affair and guests enjoyed the many amenities available within that property.

Genevieve and her bridesmaids readied at Genevieve’s family’s home in the city while Erik and his groomsmen dressed at the hotel. Prior to departing for the ceremony, the groomsmen were presented with personalized German beer steins, a wonderful nod to Erik’s family’s German heritage.

The mid-afternoon ceremony at St. Theresa Catholic Church went off without a hitch and Genevieve looked stunning in her Monique L’huillier gown and the bridemaids in their Amsale dresses in a beautiful soft blush tone. Genevieve and Erik were whisked away for a few private moments, followed by formal photos in the same vintage Ford in which Genevieve and her father arrived an hour earlier.

After the ceremony, guests assembled in the Drawing Room foyer at the Chateau Laurier where they enjoyed a cocktail and delicious appetizers to wet their appetite for dinner. Upon entering the Adam Room for dinner, Genevieve and Erik greeted their guests through a receiving line. This was an important element of the day for the married couple since chatting with each guest, individually, was a priority.

In the ballroom, guests were seated at long tables lit by dozens of candlesticks set in brass holders of various, lovely designs. Lynn Lee, Genevieve and Erik very much wanted to create the warmth and feel of a large family dinner where conversation and wine flowed freely and this was certainly achieved. Dinner began with a welcoming toast by the father of the bride with subsequent speeches to follow as guests enjoyed their custom five-course meal that included a filet mignon main course and mousse dessert featuring Quebec maple syrup.

After dinner, Genevieve and Erik cut the beautiful cake created by Catherine’s Cakery which was the central focus of a styled dessert table atop an antique sideboard rented from Any & Jen Decor. Genevieve and Erik wowed guests with their first dance which had been developed through dance lessons that the couple enjoyed leading up to their wedding day. MDRN Photobooth offered a secondary fun activity for guests during the dance. During the latter part of the evening, late night snacks were served which included a smoked meat sandwich carving station, Erik’s special request for the reception.

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This is a day that starts out with a pair of gorgeous glittery gold peep toes and just never stops being fabulous. From the stunning fuchsia dotted blooms from Flowers Talk to the exquisite stylings of Dahlia Decor to the non-stop awesomeness captured by Joel Bedford Photography, it’s a wedding that perfectly mixes traditional details with rustic stylings and everything in between. See it all here.

From The Bride… Saeed and I got married on the first day of the most beautiful summer. I have to say I’m a little biased… and even though our wedding has come and gone, I truly feel as though it will always remain our “best day ever.”

During the initial stages of planning, we knew a few things for certain: Who we wanted to photograph our wedding, and where we wanted to have it. The rest fell into place over the next year of planning (and countless hours on pinterest..duh!)

My main inspiration for the wedding came from our trip to Cinque Terre, Italy, where Saeed hadproposed a year earlier. The colors, the smells, the people, the history…everything about cinque terre was a surreal dream. I wanted to bring a little bit of that back and pay homage to it on our special day. Our dessert table was reflective of this. I gave Lidia of Petite Event Co and Catherine of Catherine’s cakery my vision and they brought it to life!

Our wedding incorporated a little bit of our cultures, and since Saeed and I grew up in Canada, we wanted to modernize it as well as include parts of our traditions that we felt represented us. The Persian table ceremony (sofreh Aghd) took place on the roof overlooking the beautiful chateau laurier and the canal. The design and execution of the ceremony table was the most challenging aspect of planning our wedding, mainly because I had to educate myself on the custom, source all supplies, and of course, make it my own!

We designed and printed our own invitations, this I have to credit to Saeed for the endless hours he spent creating them. The invitations sparked our love for blackboards which we used quite a bit at the wedding! (Despite our parents telling us they looked like invitations to a funeral.) We further personalized them by adding our own envelope liners. There were a lot of DIY elements to our wedding as well. The centerpiece birch boxes with gold glitter, the gold vases on the buffet table, the place cards and personalized thank you cards were all made with love. Instead of a sign-in book for the guests, we wanted to do something a little different, something that represents our love for travel. We had our guests sign a beautiful map of the world which we framed in a frame we hand painted gold to match our color scheme. This would serve as piece we could include in our home as a beautiful memory of our friends and family. In and around as well as outside our tent, on cruiser tables and orchard boxes, we also had several frames with our favorite love quotes. I chose quotes that best signified my feelings for Saeed.

We wanted to make sure our guests were going to have an unforgettable night, as well. We did this with some of our favorite things. First, we hired a sushi chef to make sushi on the spot for our guests during cocktail hour; this is how Saeed and I met… you could say we love sushi, A LOT. Second, we rented an old school carnival popcorn machine. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but put a bag of popcorn in front of me, and I will devour it! Lastly, we hired a caricature artist. It was completely unexpected, and people had so much fun with it! Not to mention, they each received a unique keepsake that they took home at the end of the night.

There were so many incredible moments during our day. Saeed and I had our first look earlier on, along with only our photographers and two best friends. I wouldn’t change this for the world! I managed to get most of my messy crying out of the way (Phew!!!). It was also important for me to have a first look with my dad, and I’m grateful for the moment we had together when it seemed like no one was watching.

Our first dance was emotional, but it was the last dance that really made me realize just how crazy lucky we were. At that point most of the guests had gone home, and the only people left were our closest and bestest friends. Saeed and I were slow dancing to Aladdin’s “A Whole New World”… obviously our favorite movie. Before I knew it our friends were all dancing in a closed circle around us singing a whole new world to us in sync and yet so out of tune. It was truly the most amazing moment of the night!!!

The day could not have gone so perfectly without our incredibly talented vendors, some of which went above and beyond what was asked for, and we will forever be grateful to them! Joel and Justyna of Joel Bedford Photography are a mind-blowingly talented team that has a way of making you feel so comfortable even when you’re out of your element. We had SO much fun with them taking pictures that I didn’t care that my dress got so dirty before I even walked down the aisle! Lidia of Petite Event Co. masterfully created our beautiful dessert table, as well as some other décor aspects of our wedding. She is so talented, yet remains so humble. My hair and makeup team were superstars!

Everyone came together that day to help out in any way they could. You truly feel like the luckiestperson. One of the best feelings in the world (besides eating a huge bucket of popcorn) is to be surrounded by people who are willing to travel near and far to be by your side, to watch you commit to the love of your life. We are so darn lucky!